1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a power steering apparatus, and more particularly to a power steering apparatus having a hydraulically operated power assisting actuator mounted on a vehicle frame separately from a steering shaft.
2. Description of the Relevant Art:
There is known a hydraulically operated power steering apparatus without any gear mechanism employed, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 49-23172, for example. The disclosed power steering apparatus includes a steering shaft divided into an input shaft and an output shaft which are interconnected by a torsion bar that allows the input and output shafts to rotate through different angles. The power steering apparatus also has a control valve interposed between the input and output shafts, and a power assisting cylinder and piston and a swash plate mechanism which are disposed around the output shaft.
The hydraulically operated power steering apparatus of the above construction is simple in appearance, but complex in structure since the control valve is disposed in the steering shaft, and the power assisting cylinder and piston and the swash plate mechanism are positioned around the steering shaft.